Director column

IBC director's monthly column featured in Cattleman Magazine. Archives
	November 2025 I’d like to start this column by congratulating Beth Doran, Beef Field Specialist in northwest Iowa, on her well-earned retirement, and recognize her many contributions to the Iowa cattle industry over the years. Beth retired September 30, 2025, and we wish her well as she starts this next chapter in life. As I settle into this position, sometimes putting my hands on the exact tool or information to accomplish a particular task is one of my biggest challenges, and accomplishing the task takes me at least twice as long as it should because of the search. In today’s world we have a wealth of information at our disposal, but finding credible information with relative timely manner is sometimes more challenging. In my previous roles in academia and industry, and especially in my current role, I find myself directing people to the Iowa Beef Center website ( https://www.iowabeefcenter.org/) to find tools and credible information they are seeking. This website has a tremendous amount of credible information, and I wanted to make a wider group aware of the site and provide some navigation tips to make it a timely search. The Iowa Beef Center website has several pull-down menus including About, Production, Tools, Publications, and Resources. Below are key features of each section. About Menu: At this menu, information about the center’s purpose, people and their contacts can be found. Production Menu: This section has information about feedlot, cow-calf, and beef X dairy production systems and animal health. Additionally, facility design and space allowance for animal facilities, feed storage facility design, as well as information about feeds and forages commonly used in Iowa cattle operations are found here. Tools Menu: In this section there are apps, calculators, and software programs that can help with decision making based on economic value. Over the years, I have used a number of these including the breakeven calculator, 205-d weaning weight calculator, and feed budgeting, but there are also calculators for cash flow management, grid marketing, co-product value estimate, and many more. In addition to shared calculators, software programs such as BRaNDS Beef formulation and decision software, Feedlot Monitoring Program, and Estrus Synchronization Planner also can be found here. Publications Menu: This tab houses ISU Animal Industry Reports where applied research summaries can be found. There are also Factsheets about beef management practices and their impact. One Factsheet I would like to point out is one that addresses the economic impact of the Iowa beef industry to the state of Iowa. This summary is based on the US Census data and is an excellent resource when you are needing to have conversations regarding beef production and its impacts in Iowa or your specific region. The IBC monthly newsletter “Growing Beef” also can be found there. The QR code below will take you to the newsletter subscription page. The newsletter includes current topics related to beef production and research as well as a dates of up-coming Iowa Beef Center events. Subscribing will allow the newsletter to be emailed directly. Resources Menu: At this menu, there are links to allied partner sites some internal to ISU and others outside resources. In recent conversations I have had in the field, new farmer support and guidance is often brought-up. The ISU Beginning Farmer Center link can be found here. Iowa BQA link with up-coming certification meetings can be found at this menu, and under Industry Links various government agencies, industry partner, and USDA market links can be found. There is a wide variety of information at the Iowa Beef Center website. I hope you will take some time to explore this site to see if any of the information can be of use. Don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or a Beef Field Specialist if you need further information. The IBC at Iowa State University serves as the university’s extension program to cattle producers. Our center comprises a team of faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. We work together to develop and deliver the latest in research-based information to improve the profitability and vitality of Iowa’s beef industry. If you’d like to be notified of updates on progress of research projects or programs that might be coming to your area, please subscribe to our “Growing Beef” newsletter by following the link on our website, www.iowabeefcenter.org. If you have a question, use our “Ask our Experts” link. Also, feel free to call us at 515-294-BEEF or email us at beefcenter@iastate.edu. You can follow @iowabeefcenter on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

IBC director's monthly column featured in Cattleman Magazine. Archives

November 2025

I’d like to start this column by congratulating Beth Doran, Beef Field Specialist in northwest Iowa, on her well-earned retirement, and recognize her many contributions to the Iowa cattle industry over the years. Beth retired September 30, 2025, and we wish her well as she starts this next chapter in life.

As I settle into this position, sometimes putting my hands on the exact tool or information to accomplish a particular task is one of my biggest challenges, and accomplishing the task takes me at least twice as long as it should because of the search. In today’s world we have a wealth of information at our disposal, but finding credible information with relative timely manner is sometimes more challenging. In my previous roles in academia and industry, and especially in my current role, I find myself directing people to the Iowa Beef Center website ( https://www.iowabeefcenter.org/) to find tools and credible information they are seeking. This website has a tremendous amount of credible information, and I wanted to make a wider group aware of the site and provide some navigation tips to make it a timely search. The Iowa Beef Center website has several pull-down menus including About, Production, Tools, Publications, and Resources. Below are key features of each section.

About Menu: At this menu, information about the center’s purpose, people and their contacts can be found.

Production Menu: This section has information about feedlot, cow-calf, and beef X dairy production systems and animal health. Additionally, facility design and space allowance for animal facilities, feed storage facility design, as well as information about feeds and forages commonly used in Iowa cattle operations are found here.

Tools Menu: In this section there are apps, calculators, and software programs that can help with decision making based on economic value. Over the years, I have used a number of these including the breakeven calculator, 205-d weaning weight calculator, and feed budgeting, but there are also calculators for cash flow management, grid marketing, co-product value estimate, and many more. In addition to shared calculators, software programs such as BRaNDS Beef formulation and decision software, Feedlot Monitoring Program, and Estrus Synchronization Planner also can be found here.

Publications Menu: This tab houses ISU Animal Industry Reports where applied research summaries can be found. There are also Factsheets about beef management practices and their impact. One Factsheet I would like to point out is one that addresses the economic impact of the Iowa beef industry to the state of Iowa. This summary is based on the US Census data and is an excellent resource when you are needing to have conversations regarding beef production and its impacts in Iowa or your specific region. The IBC monthly newsletter “Growing Beef” also can be found there.

The QR code below will take you to the newsletter subscription page. The newsletter includes current topics related to beef production and research as well as a dates of up-coming Iowa Beef Center events. Subscribing will allow the newsletter to be emailed directly.

Resources Menu: At this menu, there are links to allied partner sites some internal to ISU and others outside resources. In recent conversations I have had in the field, new farmer support and guidance is often brought-up. The ISU Beginning Farmer Center link can be found here. Iowa BQA link with up-coming certification meetings can be found at this menu, and under Industry Links various government agencies, industry partner, and USDA market links can be found.

There is a wide variety of information at the Iowa Beef Center website. I hope you will take some time to explore this site to see if any of the information can be of use. Don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or a Beef Field Specialist if you need further information.

The IBC at Iowa State University serves as the university’s extension program to cattle producers. Our center comprises a team of faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. We work together to develop and deliver the latest in research-based information to improve the profitability and vitality of Iowa’s beef industry. If you’d like to be notified of updates on progress of research projects or programs that might be coming to your area, please subscribe to our “Growing Beef” newsletter by following the link on our website, www.iowabeefcenter.org. If you have a question, use our “Ask our Experts” link. Also, feel free to call us at 515-294-BEEF or email us at beefcenter@iastate.edu. You can follow @iowabeefcenter on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram.